The following programs are suitable only for use on Acorn RISC computers. Use the highlighted links below each description to download the program. All programs are stored as ArcFS archives. If you have problems downloading an item then please email me.

When a file is deleted from disc the reference to the file is removed, but the actual file data remains on the disc, even though is is not accessible in the normal way from a filer window. It is only erased when a new file is saved on top of it. If you pass a disc on to someone with a disc sector editor or a copy of Zap (the text/memory editor) then they can read all the files which you deleted. One answer is to format the disc before passing it on, but there may be some files which you want to leave on the disc, and this would mean moving them to another disc, formatting, and then transferring the wanted files back again. It would be helpful if a program could erase the data of any files which had been deleted, while leaving undeleted files alone.

ClearDisc will erase all data which has been left behind by deleted files, meaning that a file which has been deleted becomes unreadable.

LoseCaret is a small utility designed to make one aspect of using the desktop slightly less infuriating. It won‘t be needed for most (RISC OS compliant) applications, only for the few which don‘t behave properly.

When an application has the input focus it receives all key presses first. If it doesn‘t recognise the key press then it should pass it on to other applications. Unfortunately, some programs don‘t do this, and as a result the normal function key operations don‘t work, for example the command line cannot be reached, or the computer cannot be shut down. One way to solve this problem is to remove the caret from the offending program by clicking in a writeable icon somewhere else. LoseCaret gets round this problem by removing it for you. One click will remove the input focus from whichever window currently has it. This will enable all key presses to be detected as normal.

This program is designed to dial phone numbers using your modem. This has the following advantages over dialling using the phone‘s keypad:

When dialling an unknown number (for instance one looked up in a phone book) you can type the whole number then check that it‘s correct before dialling. How many times have you started dialling a number straight from the phone book then lost your place and had to start again?

Whilst most modems support tone dialling, a lot of phones are still in use which are pulse dialling, that is the phone number is dialled using a system of pulses rather than tones, with the result that the number takes a lot longer to dial. If you only have a pulse-dialling phone near your computer then you can use this program to make use of tone-dialling using the modem.

Frequently dialled numbers can be stored so that they don‘t need to be typed every time the number is required. Numbers are accessed using a name, so the number need not be remembered at any time.

The withhold code, 141, can be automatically added to the front of all numbers dialled.

Charge advice can be used for all calls, This feature would normally require the # and * buttons which a lot of phones don‘t have.

Version 2 has been re-written to make use of the block drivers and should now function correctly on all setups including the serial cards which caused problems with previous versions. Other improvements have been made since version 1 and many more are planned for the future.

This program can be used to generate lists of random numbers, either for general or statistical use (e.g. random sampling). Although random integers can be generated using

FOR loop%=1 T0 10
PRINT RND(20)
NEXT loop%

this program offers full control over the range of numbers, the accuracy (i.e. the number of decimal places) and the output type, allowing the generated numbers to be loaded directly into programs which accept text or CSV files. Data can also be saved in Data files, ready for loading into a specially written program, for instance one written in Basic by the user. Random number tables can also be created.
Size: 17K | Download NumberGen | View screenshots of NumberGen

PinExtend is a small utility designed to make using the pinboard slightly easier. It can do the following:

Enable the user to make backdrops without dropping the sprite file onto the pinboard, selecting the backdrop position, and then removing the icon.

Place a blank TinyDirs icon on the icon bar without using the command line. Although TinyDirs is built into the Pinboard in RISC OS 3 there is no option on the Pinboard menu to use TinyDirs on the icon bar. Acorn obviously decided that TinyDirs wasn't needed because files can be dropped onto the pinboard. However, this clutters up the desktop, and icons on the pinboard are harder to get to than the icon bar, which can be brought to the front with Shift-F12.

Send a dragged object to TinyDirs and put its icon on the icon bar.

Automatically load backdrops, make TinyDirs and run an extra file on startup.

The idea of this program is to provide a 'semi-permanent' RAM disc, the idea being that it is loaded in your boot sequence each time you use your computer. When loaded it will copy a specified directory from a permanent storage media (for instance hard disc) onto the RAM disc. This directory can then be accessed from the icon bar and used in the same way as the RAM disc. When the program is quit or you shutdown the computer the directory will be copied back onto the hard disc ready for re-loading next time you start up.

In other words, it allows you to make use of the fast access time of the RAM disc, but with the advantage that your data will be automatically stored so your don't need to bother about transferring it when you've finished working.

If you remove your backdrop or replace it with another then clicking on the RestoreBD icon on the icon bar will reload your original backdrop (the one configured with NewLook or Configure).

In other words, using this program you can load the backdrop which you configured using NewLook (RISC OS 3.1) or the configure application (RISC OS 3.5 and 3.6) just by clicking on the icon bar. This avoids the need to search through the NewLook application or (even worse) the !Boot application in order to find the configured backdrop sprite file.

Simpson is a program to calculate definite integrals using Simpson's rule. Although Simpson's rule is, in theory, an approximate method, it is usually accurate to 2 or 3 significant figures when 3 or 5 ordinates are used, becoming accurate to about the 6th significant figure when using many more ordinates.

This program will be useful when calculating the integrals of functions which you are unable to integrate. You could use Simpson's rule by hand, but this becomes very tedious for any more than 5 or 7 ordinates, restricting accuracy to around 3 significant figures. The results given by this program are certainly comparable to those obtained by most graphical calculators. Indeed, the CASIO fx-9700GE actually uses Simpson's rule for calculating integrals, but takes much longer than this program!
Size: 19K | Download Simpson | View screenshots of Simpson

This is my attempt at a screensaver. It currently supports 10 variations of saver, including a random saver which changes every x minutes, the length of time between changes being determined by an option. The saver can be started by a hotkey as well as after a predetermined time, and the program's icon on the icon bar can be hidden to avoid taking up space and can be returned using another hotkey.
Size: 27K | Download SmallSave | View screenshots of SmallSave

SystemVar is designed to read, set or delete system variables. This could be useful to, for example, find the current value of Obey$Dir, or read or set the RunType of a file. Some applications set a variable xxx$Loaded to 'Yes' when they start up, so that two copies of the application aren't loaded at the same time. This is OK unless the application crashes, leaving xxx$Loaded set to 'Yes', and leaving you unable to reload the application. Unsetting (deleting) the variable xxx$Loaded will enable the application to be reloaded.
Size: 15K | Download SystemVar | View screenshots of SystemVar

TextInto was originally designed for typing previously-written text files into windows or icons which wouldn‘t allow the import of files; this is achieved by typing the characters into the keyboard buffer. This includes forms on web pages, meaning that you can type your text beforehand (such as usenet postings using DejaNews) whilst off-line and then use TextInto to transfer the text to the web page later.